[icallaci]

As I see it, the story has already happened and is being told in full from beginning to end by the narrator or author. Any direct quotations are quoting what was said at the time it happened. So I have no problem with the dialogue being in the present tense, while the narration is in the past tense.

Edited to add: In fact, I usually dislike present-tense narration, because I keep wondering how the narrator has time to write down what is happening in the middle of a chase scene or love scene or even just normal conversation.